Engineers, IT professionals, corporate services managers and accountants continue to be in short supply across Australia, research shows.

The Clarius Skills Index for December also shows an ongoing shortfall of company secretaries, auditors, and advertising and sales managers.

However, overall there was a skilled labour surplus of 27,800 across the 20 occupations examined.

This was up from a 19,500 surplus in the September quarter and was mainly due to seasonal factors.

The index showed that skills gap closed across the board, indicating that workers were moving from over-supplied occupations to those that are under-supplied.

Clarius Group CEO Kym Quick said that as the economy transitions from growth led by the mining sector to growth from the non mining sector, movement across occupations and industries was likely to increase.

She said economic indicators show that consumer confidence had reached a two-year high and with US employment figures improving and growth in China stabilising there should be more job opportunities opening up in Australia as the year progresses.

"Sentiment plays a strong part in hiring decisions," she said.

"Post GFC, world macro events led to depressed local sentiment but positive economic signals are now reversing poor business sentiment and this should lead to increased hiring activity."

Ms Quick said employers were currently seeking effective retention strategies to head off a senior talent drain when the job market really opens up in mid 2013.